If parenting was a sport, then parenting in the newborn days would be like running an ultramarathon (if you're unfamiliar, that's any running race longer than 26.2 miles). The near 24-7 care that new babies require in the early weeks and months is a true test of endurance and stamina. It's not that feeding and diapering a tiny baby is necessarily difficult, it's the sheer number of hours you spend doing those things in the span of a day -- every day -- while under the duress of extra hormones, necessary healing, and little-to-no sleep.

Any experience of birth involves a mental processing and reflection on the event afterward. For those who experience trauma during birth, usually due to unexpected events, extreme emotions, or unresolved past experiences, it is important to formally proce

An article released this week in the Boston Globe discusses a phenomenon that's been taking place for a little while now -- many maternity wards in hospitals across the United States are doing away with the traditional nursery where babies go to be watche

Nearly all families plan and decorate a new babys nursery well before she is born. Many expectant families also plan and purchase babys going home outfit. Some families even make plans for a newborn photo session in the first week! Few families, how

I know, I know -- you're probably thinking, "First a birth plan, now another plan?! I want to be done with this planning stuff!" But hear me out. Planning for your postpartum period is time well spent. When you're in the foggy trenches of early parenthood

Like new moms, new fathers also have unique needs to support them in the early days, weeks, and months of the postpartum period. While it's true that moms experience the brunt of the physical experience of birth and postpartum healing, dads go through the

When it comes to changes in mood and behavior during or after pregnancy, one of the most common questions I come across as an educator, doula, and friend to other moms is, "How would I know if I need professional help, or if this is 'just hormonal' and so

About the Blog Manager

Cara Terreri is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, certified DONA doula, and a professional writer, editor, and content specialist. She has been part of the Lamaze International team since 2004. Cara manages and writes for the Lamaze parents’ blog, Giving Birth With Confidence. She lives and works in the Orlando, FL, area with her husband and three children.